Eating less once over a certain age!

[Patrick Brown]

Middle-age-spread may well involve many factors although one which I've never heard discussed is food intake once our bones have stopped increasing mass. Apparently our bones continue to build their mass up until the age of 25 - 40. So once our bones stop being regenerated all the energy that was once used to constantly build bone mass is redirected to other physiological purposes. Of course if one was to continue to have the same food intake the extra energy is stored as fat tissue.

 

So here's the intriguing bit:

Digesting food takes energy and if you eat more food than you need then you'll simply put on weight. Also energy that could otherwise be used to regenerate the body is wasted digesting food and turning it into fat tissue! So eating food you don't need is a waste of energy and detrimental to one health and longevity.

 

I find this even more intriguing as the imagery of Tibetan Buddhism and Jainism depicts saints, enlightened beings etc as being very slender.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

Edited October 17, 2011 by Patrick Brown

[thelerner]

Makes sense. Lower calorie, higher nutrient eating is one of the few ways researchers have found to consistently extend the life span. Eat less, eat better is a good mantra. Not that I'm currently practicing it, but I certainly should.

[zanshin]

Not sure of statistics for men. Women usually start losing bone mass about age 30. First few years post menopause most rapid loss, can be up to 2%/year. Studies have shown with strenuous strength training program can actually gain a little over 1%/year instead of losing in those years. So, our bones are not set in stone, and our body does take energy to maintain bone mass. Most people overeat and also become more sedentary as they get older. Interesting question, if a person could keep caloric intake and activity level fairly constant throughout adult lifespan, how would weight change?

[Marblehead]

Yeah, we do become less physically active when we age so there is less demand for food. I have the love handles and the beer belly and I don't even drink beer. Hehehe.

 

I am normally between five to ten pounds over my preferred ideal maximum weight. Every now and then I do bring the weight into range but the love handles and belly always remain.

[Kali Yuga]

Yeah, we do become less physically active when we age so there is less demand for food. I have the love handles and the beer belly and I don't even drink beer. Hehehe.

Uhh maybe now's a good time to start? LOL

[Friend]

Edited November 16, 2011 by Friend

[Marblehead]

Uhh maybe now's a good time to start? LOL

 

Naw. Hehehe. I don't like the taste or the smell of beer. (I won't talk about my wine.)

[Marblehead]

I was asking me if it is about weight but proportion of the body.

A girl in a school we had weight 40 kilos for 1,70m and look as she weight 80kilos because of bloating - I am very daring and asking about her, I told those who mock her in the class about toxins and they stop bully her. Well some have also thyroids overfunction so....

 

Q

 

Indeed. There are those with various body parts that do not function normally. There are extremes at both ends of the 'normal weight' continuum. And many of these problems offer no control by the individual.

[Patrick Brown]

[Marblehead]

Addiction to food is just another desire element (elemental?). We often say yes I really like that or that tastes great but this is coming from the ego and not the body! Listening to your bodies needs is key to health and longevity.

 

This reminded me of the thought (I don't know if it is my original or something a adopted from someone else):

 

We should eat to live, not live to eat.

[Patrick Brown]

We should eat to live, not live to eat.

 

Absolutely, there's nothing wrong with enjoying a meal but we need to keep things in perspective. Sometimes a simple bowl of rice can be the most fulfilling meal, no pun intended!

[Marblehead]

Absolutely, there's nothing wrong with enjoying a meal but we need to keep things in perspective. Sometimes a simple bowl of rice can be the most fulfilling meal, no pun intended!

 

Or a can of pudding.

 

(Hehehe. Couldn't resist that.)

[Patrick Brown]

More like a couple of bottles of wine, or ten!

 

 

[Kali Yuga]

Lol! I love wine or booze, I find alcohol to be a great social stimulant and quite relaxing - I don't generally behave bad with a little booze even though the stereotype of drinkers is... meh.

 

Wine is even better.

 

I wish also that I ate less. When your lifestyle is all cultivation your metabolism tends to lower as a result of being more efficient at utilizing the energy sources it has. If you eat a lot and sit around most of the day you get fat. Lol!

[zanshin]

You are right about listening to the body. I still think cheeseburgers and fries taste good, but if I eat like that I feel like I barely have energy to get off the couch for the next few hours so rarely eat fast food now. Red wine of course is heart medicine, especially merlot It is easy to overeat depending on who lives with you, my kids are like locusts but they stay skinny, sometimes I will have snack with them when I don't need it. I looked anorexic back in college days- but I was not, I could eat like locust then. Now at 41 have to be a little more careful, when my pants get a little tight I eat less and exercise more, soon loose again. Being able to store fat was adaptive through much of history, in these days I am blessed to have high metabolism, but wouldn't have been a good peasant, when famine came I'd waste away and die pretty quick.

[Owledge]

I find this even more intriguing as the imagery of Tibetan Buddhism and Jainism depicts saints, enlightened beings etc as being very slender.

Somehow this sounds very funny.

Tibetan Buddhism is still Buddhism, right? And what does THE main persona and namegiver of this religion look like?